Ed 372: Friday Cheers Pause, Texas Beach, Mr. Coni
Powered by River City Roll — mark your calendar for the End of Summer Bash on September 6 at River City Roll, benefiting the Richmond SPCA. Find all the deets here.
Hey friends!
Paige here! I know, I know — I don’t usually write The Weekly Insider. With all the buzz around Travis and Taylor’s engagement, Kelsey might have gone into labor at just the right pop culture moment! She’s now on maternity leave with her beautiful new baby girl, so this edition is all me. I’m great at 2,000-character Instagram captions, but long-form? That’s a whole different story — wish me luck!
Coming off a long weekend, we’re officially at the unofficial start of fall, and things are already feeling festive. I’ve loaded up the Ultimate Fall Festival Reel, and the Fall Festival Guide is ready for you to start planning.
Quick reminder from the last edition: Richmond Flying Squirrels invited us to share a spot with you at a game during the final series at The Diamond. So maybe I’ll see you at the ballpark on Wednesday, September 10, and after that, we can jump into all the apple-picking, leaf-pile-jumping, and costume-making fall fun!
>> To snag yourself a spot at the game, click the link here <<
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including juicy new burgers, adorable baby cheetahs, a shelfie-worthy book contest, and more.
PODCAST
WEATHER
Wednesday: Partly cloudy; high of 81°, low of 59°
Thursday: Mostly sunny; high of 85°, low of 65°
Friday: Mostly sunny; high of 90°, low of 70°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 6 - 8 pm: DOMINION ENERGY JAZZ CAFE
Thursday, 5 - 8 pm: FLOWERS AFTER 5
Friday, 5 - 8 pm: FIRST FRIDAYS AT VMHC
CITY GUIDES
1. 14 SPOTS TO SLURP OYSTERS IN RICHMOND
Image Source: Justin Chesney
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
Donnie Glass: He’s the brains behind some of our Richmond restaurant faves — Grisette, Beaucoup, Petit Four, and, of course, Jardin. As a recent write-up in Style Weekly put it, Donnie is all about making dining fun and rewarding for both guests and staff, and we can say from the guest POV, he def delivers. Enjoy a full-on smorgasbord at Grisette, oyster shooters at Beaucoup, baguette sammies at Petit Four, and — you know Paige — literally anything and everything on the airy patio at Jardin. Then send those many compliments to the extremely kind owner, chefs, and crew.
THE LATEST:
Image Source: Remedy Burger
Image Source: Metro Richmond Zoo
Image Source: Venture Richmond
Image Source: VMFA
SOCIAL NEWS
The best burgers in Virginia just found a new home: The Veil is thrilled to welcome Remedy Burger as its new official kitchen partner in Scott’s Addition, following the closure of Nokorbi. Kicking off on Wednesday, September 3, Remedy launches a soft opening week with dinner service on Wednesday and Thursday (September 3–4) and lunch and dinner on Friday through Monday (September 5–8). Founded by Benjamin and Lauren Reed with a simple mission — “create an amazing burger” — Remedy has earned a devoted following for its smash-style burgers, including a savory broccoli-and-parmesan option for vegetarian fans. Partnering with The Veil is a natural evolution: Remedy originally served exclusively Veil beer at its first location, and now brings the same focus on quality, consistency, and community to Richmond. Stay tuned for expanded hours and menu updates. (The Veil)
From Beats to Brushes: This fall, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts unveils Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, a celebration of Black artists shaping contemporary art. On view November 22, 2025–March 1, 2026, the exhibition features roughly 130 works by nearly 40 “giants” of the art world — from 20th-century icons to rising stars advancing those legacies. Beyond paintings, sculptures, and photos, Giants highlights pop culture ephemera from the Deans’ collection, including albums, musical equipment, and BMX bikes, reflecting Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s ethos of preserving culture for themselves and the community. This is art that moves, inspires, and asserts the power of Black creativity across generations. (Press Release)
Exciting news from the Metro Richmond Zoo: Six adorable cheetah cubs were born to proud parents, Zuri and Ramses, on May 13! The litter includes three boys (Lagos, Bukavu, and Cairo) and three girls (Matola, Kampala, and Lusaka). After spending their first months at the zoo’s private Cheetah Conservation Center, the playful cubs have now joined their mother in the public habitat, giving guests a rare chance to see Africa’s fastest big cats up close. (Metro Richmond Zoo)
Friday Cheers takes a pause: Friday Cheers, Richmond’s longest-running summer concert series, will take a break in 2026 while construction begins on Venture Richmond’s Brown’s Island Improvement Project. Starting this fall, the island will be closed for upgrades through October 2026, including new restrooms, ADA access, a splash pad, play areas, river terraces, and more. Don’t worry — Friday Cheers returns in 2027, and upcoming events like the 2025 RVA Folk Festival (Oct. 10–12) and Richmond Marathon (Nov. 15) are still on. Riverrock RVA will shift along the Riverfront in 2026, and the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge will remain open with clear detours around the island. (Venture Richmond)
Proud of your home library?: Fountain Bookstore wants to see it! All September, the shop is running the #ShowUsYourShelves contest, highlighting everything from perfectly color-coded stacks to chaotic shelves barely standing with the help of a bookend or two. A panel of judges—experts in books, tchotchkes, and pure shelf vibes—will select the winners, who’ll each score a $100 Fountain gift card. Submissions will be featured on Instagram, so polish those shelves and enter via the link here! (Fountain Bookstore)
Meet Mr. Coni: Richmond has a new campus icon, and he goes by Mr. Coni. Dressed head-to-thigh in a traffic drum, he’s been spotted skating through VCU, dancing outside local hangouts, and popping up across Shockoe on weekends. After a recent TikTok from the VCU dining hall blew up, his legend only grew—students and locals alike are now swapping sightings and snapping photos whenever he appears. While he’s keeping his identity a secret, his Instagram makes it clear: he’s just a cone with legs, here to spread a little chaos and a lot of joy. And yes, the cult following now comes complete with cheeky Mr. Coni merch. (Axios)
Goodbye Tequila Cake: This past Saturday marked the final service for Wong Gonzalez, closing out nearly a decade on East Grace Street. Opened in 2016 by EAT Restaurant Partners, the Latin-Asian fusion spot helped energize downtown’s dining scene but ultimately shut its doors as post-pandemic foot traffic remained slow. The restaurant group is shifting focus to growth elsewhere, with a new Wong’s Tacos in Hanover, an Italian concept in Short Pump, and a Lucky AF location in Forest Hill all on the horizon. (Axios)
Tune in: I recently joined Robey Martin and Scott Wise on CBS6’s Eat It, Virginia podcast, alongside Lauren Z. Ray, to talk all things social media and content creation. We dive into how we got started, our journeys in the world of social media, and what we do here at The Richmond Experience. If you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes of RVA’s digital scene, this episode is a must-listen! (CBS6)
MORE LINKS YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK
⚠️Construction is officially underway at the Texas Beach Pedestrian Bridge! To improve safety during the project, a section of the North Bank Trail has been rerouted. Whether hiking, biking, or strolling, follow the marked path for a smoother, safer trip through one of RVA’s favorite riverfront spots — and help keep the James River Park System beautiful! (RVA Parks and Rec)
🎶Music at Main Street Station is back on Thursday evenings through September. (RVA Gov)
Image Source: Parlay Bar & Lounge
Weekly Giveaway
Parlay Bar & Lounge
NFL season officially kicks off this Thursday, September 4, and while we can’t tell you who to vote for when it comes to Dallas vs Philly (is voting how that works?), we can suggest where to go to catch that game or another.
Parlay Bar & Lounge, for example, has your plush seating, high-def TVs, and semi-private pods for exclusive viewing parties. The VIP atmosphere is ideal for football fans, featuring pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and a full bar — plus, the spot offers game day specials like $20 beer buckets and $25 High Noon buckets.
This week, we’re giving away $25 to Parlay Bar & Lounge! Don’t fumble this opp.
To enter, tell us: Who’s your team anyway?
Last week: Congratulations to last edition’s winner, Claire O., for winning the Capital City Painting & Powerwashing giveaway!
Image Source: Common House
Member Perks
Common House
These perfect 70-degree days and all the fall festival buzz can only mean one thing… it’s basically Christmas in RVA. Time to get a head start on the holiday season and lock in your party plans! Whether it’s a cozy cocktail hour or a full-blown office bash, Common House has the spaces, vibes, and menus to make your holiday shindig unforgettable.
As a member of The Richmond Experience, you get up to 30% off rental fees! If you’re interested in hosting a holiday party, social gathering, or business off-site, visit commonhouse.com/richmond or reach out to richmondevents@commonhouse.com and mention you’re a member of The Richmond Experience.
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We’d like to welcome 15 new members this week: Amanda C., Ansley T., Melissa C., Lesie M., Zoe C., Nevaeh C., Silang D., Sean J., Rachel F., Elizabeth K., Jessica W., Evan B., Chelsea L., Jennifer S., Heather H., we’re so glad you’re here!
It takes a village, so let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback, tips, or recs! Thanks for reading edition 372 of The Weekly Insider.
Catch ya next week!
- The Richmond Experience
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